Revolution is in the air and while still a dark show, Season 3 of The Handmaid’s Tale boasts a lot more hope than ever before. And this is for the best in a show that is certainly not the easiest watch, but rewarding in terms of acting and story. Be warned, spoilers may follow.

We pick up where Season 2 left off, with June(Elisabeth Moss) having given her newborn daughter to an escaping Emily( Alexis Bledel). She has decided to stay in Gilead to save her other daughter Hannah, who was cruelly taken from her years before. Plus, she’s still got an axe to grind with the horrifying regime that governs what was once America. She briefly returns to the house of slimy Commander Waterford( Joseph Fiennes)and his wife Serena Joy(Yvonne Strahovski), who was the one who handed the baby over to her in the hope that the baby will get a better life in Canada. Serena is starting to chafe at the system and in retaliation burns down her house, possibly setting the stage for her switch of allegiance. She’s in deep morning for her ‘child’ which could easily make her return to her normal cruel self though. June is sent to the home of Commander Lawrence(Bradley Whitford), who helped engineer Emily’s escape but whose true purpose and sense of trust are questionable. June however has her eyes set on rebellion and though some of her actions are questionable, she’s mainly playing the game in order to survive. She attempts to get Serena on side and persuade Fred to let her have a bit more power than women in Gilead have. But can either be trusted? Can Aunt Lydia( Ann Dowd) who begrudgingly seems to admire June’s opposition, be of any help? And can with an ongoing political struggle in sight can June ensure the safety of both her daughters? Plus, a visit from high powered and nasty Commander Winslow(Christopher Meloni) sets the scene for more shocks and horror as she exerts power and Fred craves it. June is somehow caught in the middle that leads to desperate circumstances. Meanwhile, Emily makes it to Canada with the baby and finds Luke( O. T. Fagbenle) and Moira( Samira Wiley), who offer support. Though things get difficult as Luke is having to raise another man’s child and still terrified about whether he’ll see his wife again. Emily is also struggling when she reunited with her wife and son as it’s been so long and they’ve been a part for what seems like eternity. This coincides with June becoming even more reckless and at times selfish, though she’s brought to her senses once more, thanks to Janine( Madeline Brewer) and the other Handmaid’s. This is where she really ramps up her campaign of striking back.

While continuing the story set up in the first two seasons, Season 3 of The Handmaid’s Take feels like something a bit different while still including the DNA that made the show connect with so many in this topical time. Some fans took issue with June’s last minute decision to stay in Gilead and not run to escape. While I can understand the gripes and though it was a surprise, on reflection it made a lot of sense. The thought of Hannah was what kept June going through her hellish ordeal of institutionalised rape and servitude that was punishable by death if not obeyed. I never believed June would just abandon her as she has been so key to the show and June’s voyage to rebellion. And the spirit of rebellion is shot through this season that still retains the starkness and darkness of what we’re used to, but embeds it with a feeling of underlying optimism that it has only hinted at in previous ventures. Don’t be fooled, this show still has its share of brutality, violence and horror and on those levels it delivers. I just couldn’t help but notice the building feeling of something good about to happen and action about to be taken. It’s a slow burner for certain but I like that about this season. It’s dialled back on some of the overriding gloom that perpetuated the first two seasons but not completely forgotten it. Everything is in the deliberate pace that convincingly lays the building bricks of revolution and how it’s going to occur from the inside. Some may find it slow going( there are some spots where a shot of quickness might have worked), but overall the burning feeling and realisation that revolution is nearing is impressively depicted.

The standout episodes are as follows. In ‘Unknown Caller’, the fallout begins when it’s discovered that Luke has Nichole and June is forced to identify her husband. We get June making an emotional phone call under duress to Luke, Serena seeing Nichole one last time and then falling prey to the manipulations of her husband and finally June’s glare to the camera when she realises she’s been stabbed in the back. It’s a rollercoaster of an episode that grips with how it unravels and the surprises of motivations and actions displayed. Following that is the topical ‘Household’ which deals with subjects of children’s rights, political agendas and the nature of possession. Secrets are also unearthed as June travels to Washington D.C.( which has been made over into a dictatorship) and discovers that lover Nick(Max Minghella) was not the man she thought he was and that he can’t help her in her hour of need . Plus, we are shown the horrifying extremes of Gilead as all the Handmaid’s are silenced by three piercings that keep their lips closed. It’s an often unexpected episode backed up by arresting cinematography, amazing set design that captures a world gone mad and excellent storytelling. Plus, in ‘Unfit’, we finally get some backstory on Aunt Lydia before the rise of Gilead. I’ve been waiting to discover the woman behind the brutality and it delivers. She was once a teacher who was dedicated to her young students and wanted the best. She befriended a young wayward woman whose son she taught and tried to help. After taking her advice and trying to seduce the principal, she was left mortified when he rejected her. I think her breaking point was the fact that in her mind she violated her religious beliefs and gave in to temptation. In retaliation and feeling embarrassed, Lydia phoned the social services on the young mother and the child was taken away.

A haunting hour is found in ‘Heroic’ which has June confined to a hospital as punishment for her treatment of a fellow Handmaid who now lies in a coma . The atmosphere is comparable with Kubrick in terms of how clinical and psychological everything looks and feels. It crucially brings June back to her usual self after she lost her way and became selfish and cruel. It’s an undoubtedly disturbing watch but one that starts the wheels of change again after she was at the point of near collapse. And the last few episodes are nothing short of exhilarating as plans are finally put into action and the tension rises. Though the first half of the season is the slow build, the last half is everything getting going and strike back beginning that will change everything. Pay particular attention to the finale ‘Mayday’ which is hands down one of the best episodes of the entire show. Though a show that is tough going, The Handmaid’s Take is gorgeously shot with dark hues but a more prominent brightness than before to reflect the burgeoning fire within June and the others who will help her. The trademark use of shallow focus especially when focusing on June and birds eye view shots of the Handmaid’s in ranks are stellar and cinematic in execution. Fine and often ironic song choices and a chillingly electronic score compliment the aura of eeriness and evinced hope.

Elisabeth Moss continues to excel as our main character. Those eyes and that face once more work miracles with the slightest of movements. She is a masterclass in emotion and revealing how June is both flawed(sometimes dangerously so and close to cracking) and driven by everything she’s experienced. It’s a layered performance that just keeps impressing upon every episode as we watch seething rage, hope, trepidation, questionable choices and bravery commingle . And it’s all down to the dedication with which Moss plays June that we are so enthralled by her presence. Yvonne Strahovski continues to vacillate between sympathetic victim and desperate yet icy madam. She straggles the two considerably and displays that Serena could both be an ally or an enemy to June and her mission. I liked seeing Strahovski expand on Serena and watching her both fight against and embrace Gilead. Complimenting her is the on form Joseph Fiennes who knows how to play a nasty piece of work. Commander Waterford is one of those characters who is completely up themselves so it’s nice to see him start squirming and becoming a little subservient to those higher than him. And watching Fiennes show the emotion of his power slipping away is more than a tad satisfying.

Anne Dowd is once more knocking it out the park as Aunt Lydia, who is explored with depth. The dichotomy of kindness and viciousness is sublimely acted and we never quite know which incarnation we will get. Kudos to Ann Dowd for her complex portrayal of someone following shocking orders and thinking they are doing the right thing in their own warped mind. In Canada, the series regulars are just as impressive, even if they are seen less than the Gilead counterparts. Standing out is Alexis Bledel as the now free Emily, whose adjusting t her new life with a mix of relief and trepidation. You feel immense sympathy for her as she’s now escaped but still has a certain cage in her mind from everything she’s been through. Bledel sells these varying feelings with sincerity and conviction. And although they aren’t as prominent as before, O. T. Fagbenle and Samira Wiley give personality and heart to survivors of the regime, building some form of normality for themselves. By far one of the most interesting characters is Commander Lawrence as he’s pretty inscrutable and Bradley Whitford is a masterful actor taking delight in exploring the contradictions of the part. One moment he’s helpful and rebellious, the next he’s shut off and cruel and that’s what is so fascinating as he could either be ally or enemy. Christopher Meloni brings considerable strength and sliminess as a high powered Commander. There’s something in the way he speaks and moves that immediately intimidating and nasty; Meloni is obviously enjoying being really able to explore a most vile character in detail. She’s been in the background and occasionally been popping into something substantial, but here Amanda Brugel is given more to do as the Martha Rita. Her quiet dignity and immense strength in playing the game that Gilead has started is admirable and I loved seeing her come into her own. Madeline Brewer is again impressive as the vulnerable Janine, who seems to be everyone’s punching bag of late but who still finds a way to muddle through the pain. The main person who isn’t given a lot to do is Max Minghella, who appears in the first half of the season and is then missing. We do learn something interesting about Nick as a character, but I’d like it if he’d been in it a bit more. This is a minor gripe though in a season that’s incredibly well acted.

A far more hopeful but still bruising and stark season that starts slow and builds to a powerful finish, Season 3 of The Handmaid’s Tale is extremely well acted and thought provoking viewing.

A predictable and schmaltzy romantic drama, Nights in Rodanthe is made at least watchable and bearable by the presence of Diane Lane and Richard Gere, who bring a much-needed heart to an utterly contrived and unoriginal movie.

Adrienne Willis is a mother of two trying to keep it together after her husband Jack left for another woman. The trouble is now he wants her back and Adrienne is caught in a conundrum of whether to forgive him for his affair or continue as she is. Her strained relationship with her teenage daughter, who always takes her father’s side does little to help matters. So while her kids are staying with their father for the weekend, she decides to go to her best friend Jean’s inn in Rodanthe, North Carolina to tend to the rustic place on the beach. She hopes that while there she can come to a decision about her future while clearing her head. Also staying at the inn for the weekend is Dr Paul Flanner; who has his own troubles regarding a patient who died on the operating table, the family of the deceased patient suing him and his fractured relationship with his son, who is also a doctor. At the beginning of the weekend, the terse Paul is withdrawn and not at all talkative towards the conflicted Adrienne. But as Adrienne begins to coax him to talk, he also helps her reveal her pain. With a hurricane forecast and it best to stay inside, it is here where the two emotionally conflicted people really get to know each other. Over the course of the stormy weekend, Adrienne and Paul begin to open up to each other and help at least make some repair to their wounds and conflicts. Soon enough, a genuine romance sparks between them. But can their burgeoning romance blossom when they still have difficult decisions to make?

Firstly before I begin discussing my thoughts on Nights in Rodanthe, I’ll admit that I knew that it would probably be contrived and predictable. I mean it’s based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks, who always churns out romances that all bear striking resemblances to the last. But I at least expected there to be something else brought to the table with this movie. Sadly, it settled for the inevitable story line and cloying sentimentality that it seemed destined for. Unconfident direction from George C. Wolfe does nothing to distinguish this movie from the endless glut of schmaltzy romances that populate cinemas on a regular basis. He seems more interested in basking in the glowing sunlight and changes of weather that occur over the weekend, rather than the romance that develops between Paul and Adrienne. And while everything looks nice in Nights in Rodanthe, the scenery of the beach and crashing waves is pleasant enough, once again the ghost of every other cliché in the unoriginal romantic movie book is ever-present. Cue kisses in the wind, walks along the beach and cuddling by the fire. Clunky dialogue is another problem that makes some of it just feel ridiculous, especially the parts involving Adrienne and her daughter that come off as boring and melodramatic. The music score is lush but uninspired and occasionally lurches all over the show, and doesn’t manage to compliment some nice visuals. Saying all of this, Nights in Rodanthe does have some emotional impact, particularly as it nears the end and it’s inevitable that you’ll be reaching for the tissues.

Thank goodness we at least have Diane Lane and Richard Gere to enliven events and give Nights in Rodanthe at least a shred of believability and lovely chemistry. Diane Lane has always been an actress of depth and authenticity and that shines through here. Showcasing Adrienne’s worries that give way to a more relaxed persons, Lane just feels so radiant and lovely that it’s hard to take your eyes off her. She makes even the most clunky dialogue ring true and that is saying something with the material she’s given here. Richard Gere also does his best as the tortured Paul, haunted by emotions and pain. As previously mentioned, the two of them have a great rapport with each other and work very well together. Having worked together before in Unfaithful, you can just sense that they share something special when working with each other. Sadly, everyone else in this movie suffers from either being seen to little or just having roles that aren’t that interesting. Which is a shame when you have people like James Franco, Christopher Meloni, Scott Glenn and Viola Davis.

So despite the presence of Lane and Gere, boasting natural chemistry, Nights in Rodanthe falls very flat and ends up just another run of the mill romantic drama that you’ve seen been done countless times before.

Coming almost ten years after the startling original Sin City, this second installment had a lot to live up to. Unfortunately, it doesn’t match its predecessor in many ways, but A Dame to Kill For is far from an all-out failure and does have its moments that need praise.

A Dame to Kill For takes the same narrative structure of the first movie, albeit with stories that serve as a prequel to those events that occurred in the original. These stories intertwine at many points along the way of the narrative structure. We first of all have cocky slicker Johnny, who seems to have a lot of luck when it comes to winning in poker games. Arriving in the godforsaken town of the title, he takes on the corrupt Senator Roark in a game that he repeatedly wins. Roark doesn’t take to kindly to this showing of power from the young gambler and has his men violently sort him out. This in turn sets up many more brutal encounters between the two men in a battle of supremacy. The second story and prequel to the first movie, concerns Dwight McCarthy when he was a private detective, intent on not letting violent urges and temptation get in his way. Dwight finds himself caught in a seductive web, spun by the femme fatale Ava Lord. No matter how hard he tries to resist her, he can’t break the spell of the poisonous temptress. She brings him into a plot to kill her husband, by playing the part of the abused wife who needs protecting. Sure enough, the bewitched Dwight agrees and murders her unwitting husband. With her husband dispatched of, the cunning Ava leaves Dwight for dead. Good for Dwight is the fact that he has the brute Marv to help him and take him to the girls of Old Town, lead once again by the kick ass dominatrix Gail. The hookers shelter him and help him through reconstructive surgery alter his appearance, ready for revenge upon the eponymous dame for her betrayal. The last tale focuses on Nancy Callahan, who mourns the death of her protector Hartigan. Knowing that the reason he killed himself was because of the evil Roark, the exotic dancer slips into drunken madness and uncontrollable rage; plagued by hallucinations of Hartigan that warn her not to avenge him. Swearing revenge on the all-powerful Senator, she teams with a willing Marv in her attempt to kill the corrupt leader once and for all.

Visual style is very much on display throughout A Dame to Kill For, it’s just at times it doesn’t feel as fresh as it did in the first film. We do get some nifty visuals mind you( the sinister crimson of Ava’s lips and shining emerald eyes are a particular highlight) and the use of silhouettes is stunning to accentuate the smoky atmosphere of the town. There’s just a feeling of ‘been there done that’ about it that hangs over this movie. Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez both bring style and action to the fray, but the structure isn’t as up to scratch as it once was and the movie suffers as a result. For example, certain parts of the stories are expanded upon enough and other times too much time is spent on one tale. Yet when the action does hit its height, it does deliver in blood-soaked fashion that is still quite electrifying. Once again, a sexy soundtrack that hark back to the shadows of Noir creates a good amount of intensity that provides interest.

Mickey Rourke once again delivers the goods as the brutish Marv, who is more than willing to help out a friend with business, especially if it involves blood, murder and violence. Rourke does get to show a tender side again, this time acting as the helper to the vengeful Nancy in her time of need. Jessica Alba, though often the subject of debate as to her acting credentials, confounds expectations and brings sadness and aggression to the role of Nancy. Rather than just the sexy dancer from the first film, we get to see her as a broken down girl, shorn of hope but thirsty for revenge. Josh Brolin, portraying the character of Dwight before the reconstruction sported in the first movie, gives his part weariness as he navigates his way through violence, yet finds himself ensnared by the manipulative Ava. Eva Green is the definite showstopper in this movie, seductive and sinuous as she traps men with her beauty and brings pain to them. Slinky and cunning, she is a poisonous viper who is adept at making people do her dirty work and then leaving them with the consequences. To say that Eva Green was smouldering and sexy in this movie would be a criminal understatement. Joseph Gordon-Levitt contributes youthful charm and cocky self-assurance as upstart Johnny, who tangles with the wrong man in the form of Senator Roark and pays the price. Power Boothe returning again brings malevolent sneakiness to Roark and exposes his ruthless, power-mad nature that knows no bounds once infuriated by others. Rosario Dawson, although unfortunately used in a reduced capacity, is still fierce and crafty as Gail. Dennis Haysbert has the physical stature and deep voice to make Manute a very physical and dangerous adversary, yet Ray Liotta in a role as another corrupt politician is somewhat wasted. The same can be said about Bruce Willis, who appears as Hartigan in Nancy’s hallucinations. He just isn’t given enough to do to make his appearance here memorable. Jamie Chung doesn’t make for a great replacement as assassin Miho; I believe Devon Aoki did a better job and had the stony faced intensity for the part which Chung lacks. Jaime King returns as twin prostitutes Wendy and Goldie, but scarcely makes an impact this time around. Jeremy Piven and Christopher Meloni make impressions as two cops investigating the murder of Ava’s husband; Piven is the one who is wary of the dame, whereas Meloni is the one who falls under the siren’s spell. Christopher Lloyd gives his part as a sinister doctor who helps Johnny after he is brutalised by Roark’s men. Juno Temple is wasted as a young prostitute saved by Dwight, while music fans should look out for a cameo by pop star Lady Gaga as a sympathetic waitress who takes pity on a wounded Johnny.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For was never going to match the heights of the original movie, but it’s not as bad as people make out. It’s just not as thrilling as it could have been, despite its wealth of potential.